AUGUST 2006 ı goodreading 17 cover story This month 10 lucky winners could win a copy of The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery on ABC MP3 CD, valued at $39.95 each. To enter simply write your details on the back of an envelope and mail to ‘The Weather Makers Competition’, GPO Box 3835 Sydney NSW 2001 or enter online at www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1.Information on how to enter forms part of the terms and conditions of entry.2.Entry is open to all residents of Australia and New Zealand who are readers ofGood Reading magazine. Entries must be made between 1/8/06 and 30/8/06 and be sent to Good Reading Magazine, GPO Box 3835, Sydney NSW 2001. Employees and their immediate families of the promoter and agencies associated with this promotion are ineligible. 3.The judge’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes are not transferable and cannot be taken as cash. Any change in the value of the prize occurring between 01/05/06 and the date the prizes are claimed is not the responsibility of the promoter and any difference in prize value will be the responsibility of the winner. The total prize mentioned is the recommended retail value as provided by the supplier and is correct at the time of printing. Prizes will be provided by ABC Audio. 4.The first 10 valid entries drawn will each win a copy ofThe Weather Makers, valued at $39.95 each. The total prize value is $399.50. 5.The draw will take place at no. 9 Stephen St Balmain NSW 2041 at 11 am on 01/09/06. The winners will be notified by mail and their name will be published in the September issue ofGood Reading magazine on 29/09/06. 6.The promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever that is suffered or for any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with the prizes. 7.The promoter accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected mail. 8.The promoter may conduct such further draws at the same place as the original draw as are necessary on 24/12/06 in order to distribute the prize if it remains unclaimed by that date, subject to any written directions given under Reg 37 of the Lottery and Gaming Regulations 1993 (S.A.). 9.All entries become the property of the promoter. 10.The promoter is Good Reading Magazine Pty Ltd of 9 Stephen St Balmain NSW 2041 ABN 38 003 750 150 NSW Permit no. TPL 06/07545 ACT Permit no.TP 06/02674 dioxide. CO2 plays a critical role in maintaining the balance necessary to all life. It is also, Dr Flannery reminds us, a waste product of the fossil fuels tha almost every person on the planet uses for heat, transpor and other energy require- ments. Because we create CO2 every time we drive a car, cook a meal or turn on a light, and because the gas lasts around a century in the atmosphere, the proportion ofCO2intheairwe breathe is rapidly increasing. The story Dr Flannery tells us in The Weather Makers outlines the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do about it. And if there’s anyone who can make people finally sit up, take notice and do something, it’s Tim Flannery. ‘The most important thing to realise is that we can all make a difference and help combat climate change at almost no cost to our lifestyle,’ he tells us. ‘And in this, climate change is very different from other envi- ronmental issues such as biodiversity loss or the ozone hole. The best evidence indicates that we need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent by 2050. If you own a four-wheel-drive and replace it with a hybrid-fuel vehicle or a smaller standard-fuel car, you can achieve a cut of that magnitude in a day rather than half a century. If your electricity company offers a green option, for the cost of a daily cup of coffee, you will be able to make equally large cuts in your household emissions. And if you vote for a politician who has a deep commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, you might change the world. If you alone can achieve so much, so, too, can every individual and, in time, industry and government on Earth.The transition to a carbon-free economy is eminently achievable because we have all the technology we need to do it. It is only a lack of understanding and the pessimism and confusion generated by interest groups that is stopping us from going forward.’ Dr Flannery’s commitment to the issue of climate change is such that he recently resigned from his position as Director of the South Australian Museum to head north and take up a posi- Tim Flannery’s 11 easy, effective ways you can help reduce global warming To reduce household emissions: 1. Change to accredited Green Power option or electricity supply 2. Install an energy-efficient hot water system 3. Install solar panels . Use energy-efficient whitegoods . Use triple-A rated shower heads . Use energy-efficient light globes o reduce transport emissions: Check fuel efficiency of next car Walk, cycle or take public transport eneral reduction: Calculate and track your carbon footprint* 10. Suggest a workplace audit** 11. Write to a politician about climate change * Calculate the distance you travel annually by car or air, calculate your energy consumption at home via bills; track your results and try to reduce over time ** Persuade your company to track office/ factory energy consumption, company car use and business air travel tion at Macquarie University in New South Wales where he will concentrate on research- ing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The producer of The Weather Makers audio, Heather Steen, is full of praise for this passionate, professional man. He was so busy that he had to make the recordings at night, over five four-hour sessions in the Adelaide ABC studios, before heading overseas to promote The Weather Makers, which has already created waves in the US and UK. When it was announced that The Weather Makers had won Book of the Year at the recent NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Dr Tim Flannery’s acceptance speech consisted of four words. ‘Install a solar panel,’ he told his audience. The Weather Makers, written and spoken by Tim Flannery, is a 2-CD MP3 set published by ABC Audio. The unabridged audio book runs for 9 hours 30 minutes, rrp $39.95.You can find out more about Dr Tim Flannery and climate change by visiting his website, www.theweather makers.com Win!